16 Mexican police officers arrested in connection with mass graves

Sixteen Mexican police officers have been arrested in connection with mass graves. The officers have been arrested for allegedly protecting gang members responsible for the murder of 126 people.

San Fernando, the city the arrested officers were from, is in the Northeastern part of Mexico close to the United States border. The mass graves were unearthed in the same area. They have been blamed on drug cartels.

The victims are said to have been public bus passengers. Officials have pinned down the Los Zetas drug cartel as a likely perpetrator of the crime.

The police officers were arrested for protecting four members of the Los Zetas cartel. It is these four people authorities believe are directly responsible for the massacres. The Mexican government is offering a reward of $3.8 million for information leading to the arrest of them.

The Mexican government has deplored the acts as “lamentable and reprehensible homicides,” and notes that one of the major obstacles to solving these crimes is police corruption.

Currently there is no clear motive for the murders.